Boy Gary - A Documentary

Aim

The story of a veteran fisherman who, sailing on the Boy Gary, lived through the golden age of Cornwall's fishing industry.

THE STORY

Jon Thomas is a veteran fisherman who, at the age of 77, has seen the rise and downfall of Cornwall’s fishing industry and culture. A self-made fisherman, Jon began sailing the waters at the age of 15 and has depended on it ever since. From the 1979 Fastnet Yacht Race tragedy to the impact of both EU and post-brexit regulations on fishing, it’s not a stretch to say he has seen almost everything.

Jon has been happy to talk with us during these past weeks, and his stories are neverendingly interesting. 

THE IMPORTANCE OF HIS STORY

Jon is passionate about his profession; he admits it's dangerous and it's not for everyone, but he strives to show the world the dangers of overfishing and of unsustainable human activity at sea. We are attracted to his story because it speaks to topics that are often overlooked or misunderstood; we wish to bring the real story of the real people dealing with real problems, unfiltered and unaltered. Perhaps in this mission, we will be able to shed light onto the difficulty of the profession and it's great importance to not only the local and regional economy, but also on the national one. 

BRINGING BOY GARY TO LIFE - WHO ARE WE?

Boy Gary is a collaborative project created by two Falmouth University film students; but before anything, you need to know who we are!

Andres Orella

A Spanish cinematographer and writer, I am delighted and excited to work on this documentary.

As an international filmmaker, Jon’s story speaks to me on a few levels: someone who’s dedicated their entire life to one profession is deeply interesting, but what most interests me about this story is how it's a real story - and perhaps it can shed light on the accuracy (or lack thereof) of what is commonly told about this industry and practice.

Nick O’Leary 

A cinematographer and video editor from Bristol, I can’t wait to tell Jon’s story.

Being born and raised in a city as well as being part of a generation with a completely different mindset, Jon’s story is particularly interesting to me as it represents a completely different way of living, and uncovers some of the mysteries surrounding the fishing industry, an industry which most people don’t know a lot about.

WHY YOUR SUPPORT IS NEEDED

Jon’s story is one we think the world deserves to hear, and so we’ve made it our priority that this project gets made. Thus, your generous donations will be used for precisely that!

Jon lives and is based off of Penzance, which is a chunk away from where we’re at. This is why a substantial part of the budget will go towards transport. 

Besides transport to Penzance and back, we will use this budget to feed our hungry crews as well, since a hungry crew means a hungry project!

The rest of your generous donations will go to, well, to you! 

While we will be doing our best to cut corners on what we’ll need to spend on this project, we will deeply appreciate any donations, whether big or small. In fact, we intend to return the favour!

Any amount helps us a ton - that’s why if you decide to support us even with £1 we will show our gratitude and the importance of this donation by including you in the credits as helping us to bring Boy Gary to life. 

If you’re able to donate £20 or more, you will be sent special content such as BTS footage, extra interview material not included in the published cut and a signed copy of the final documentary. 

If you decide to be ultra-generous and donate £60 or more, you will be credited as an Executive Producer for your massive contribution, and you will be given access to BTS footage and a unique director’s cut version of the documentary, signed by both of us with a letter of great appreciation. 

If you donate £10 or more as an organization or company, we will be more than happy to include your company logo as an official sponsor in the credits of the project. Please contact us at [email protected] so that we may obtain your logo and any other details you wish us to specify in the credits. 

Of course we know not everyone is in a situation in which they can help fund the project. However sharing this crowdfunder and spreading the word would mean the world to us, and would greatly help bring this story the attention it deserves. 

You can check out our Instagram account for more behind-the-scenes material and updates.

This project successfully funded on 29th March 2022